Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
No one is more *eagerly excited!* for the SEQUEL to “Silver Hollow” – that I am!! Truly – ever since the beautifully lovely hardback of Silver Hollow enchanted my imagination & tugged at my readerly heart – I’ve barely found myself unable to pull myself out of the world long enough to stop contemplating ‘what comes next’ & where do we go from here? It is one of those spell-binding fantastical series you are itching to discover – aching really, if you’re a reader like me – and finding yourself so bemused by how the writer set us in her world that it is quintessentially on your #topfavouritesof2019 lists for books you dearly hope others pick up to read based on your own enthused reception of the story!
However, before you listen to me gush a bit more over this series – I first need to mention a few things about how I know Ms Silverwood:
On my connection to Jennifer Silverwood:
When our paths first crossed, Ms Silverwood and I shared a mutual interest and connection; however, our friendship did not form for awhile afterwards. It was truly after the interview went live and after I noticed I was reading her blog as much as she was reading mine – where I realised we shared a lot of commonalities in our reading lives as well as our writely lives! We decided to stay in touch and it is an honour to find someone who understands the bridge between reader, blogger and writer.
I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Ms Silverwood through our respective love & passion of reading inside the twitterverse whilst I hosted her Silver Hollow blog tour and privately as well. I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time or continuing to read their releases as they are available. This also applies to hosting a guest feature by the author I share a connection.
Secondly, Ms Silverwood was blessedly one of my guests for @SatBookChat this year – wherein we were discussing her Space Opera novellas series. She’s previously been a host of the chat discussing Silver Hollow – as she’s a conversationalist like I am when it comes to all things bookish – however, if you tuck into that post, you’ll find a link to the chat & find that we discussed a bit more than the Heavens Edge series as well!
Her stories are amongst my favourite to read & it is a delight of joy whenever her #bookmail arrives in my postbox! You’ll be seeing more about Heavens Edge before the close of the month as its tied into how I’ll be closing off my Sci Fi November this year! Never one to let migraines or a Wintry cold hold a girl down for too long (ie. migraines & some life woes derailed #SciFiMonth this year whilst if you’ve seen my #FantasyForChristmas19 posts magically re-organising themselves in your feeds for Jorie Loves A Story this week – consider it courtesy of a horrid Wintry cold which struck me down!) – I am resolute in my efforts to continue reading the stories I desire to finish before Times Square can happily countdown my New Year’s!
Today I was wicked thrilled to be able to ‘ring a bell’ (as Joriebelle rings a belle for #blogmas) for the Borderlands Saga as I had this to share after starting to read the delightful novel:
There was a tight pulling of curiosity – of needing to read another paragraph, of feeling tucked closer to Amie and of developing a keen sense of curiosity for the otherness which was about to jump into focus; I was sure of it, as it was percolating at the fringes round the funeral for her parents. It was then I realised, I think I might have found my footing into the fantastical styling of Ms Silverwood – where I could gain entry into the mythos of her world and settle in for the long haul of the Borderlands Saga!
Silverwood has truly crafted together a tale you can drink in – slowly and ruminatively, as you step into Amie’s footsteps as she starts to pull the pieces together of a life and family she was not privy to understanding til her parents died. And, even then, let’s be frank – it took her longer than most to accept a nod of familial invitation to gleam more about her father’s past and the world he left behind. I loved her instincts for turns of phrase, for how she took time to allow Amie to contrast her thoughts and emotions through colours and wordplay.
The pacing I felt was intimate enough to hug us close to Amie but equally dynamic enough to give us a slight thrill of an adventure we were bound to want to escape inside once we caught a glimpse of how her world was evolving into view. What I appreciated most though is how this story was written – from the choices in direction and characterisation to the elements of the ‘otherworld’ seeping through the opening chapters where Amie is clueless about her ancestral legacy.
The beauty of course, is the subtlety in which they have become fashioned through the Borderlands Saga – as there is a gentleness to the fantastical within this series. You get to step through the veil between the known world and the unseen world as unexpectedly as Amie. It gives you a chance to adjust to the changes but also, it proves the point towards what is seen and unseen is only the very beginning of understanding the unknown.
-quoted from my book review of Silver Hollow
I am *aching!* dear hearts to read this sequel – not that I could *forget!* the release date – not only does it *fall within!* the 3rd Year I’ll be co-hosting Wyrd & Wonder with Imyril & Lisa – but dear hearts, the day of release is of import for my family! It’s my parents anniversary and what is more special than a book release by a beloved author & the next year’s anniversary of your parents!? Absolutely NOTHING! Smiles.
If you want to find your #nextreads for Urban Fantasy, Fey directed Lit and a fantastical world which will bewitch you mind & heart – this is definitely a series to earmark to read!
Here’s a special cheer to Jennifer Silverwood & the lovely writers behind #WeWriteFantasy who help celebrate the fantastical each December during their #FantasyForChristmas events! They truly have increased my love & joy of sorting out which Fantasy novelists I am itching to read next & which writers are curating the stories I most want to be finding on my bookshelf!
Published by: Silverwood Sketches
Converse via: #FantasyForChristmas19, #BorderlandsSaga & #WeWriteFantasy
Published: 25th May, 2020 | *this will be cross-released digitally and in print!
In a single night of madness, Amie won the battle and lost the two people she loved most. As she struggles to be the queen her people need, her family band together against the hidden threat at their borders.Haunted by the ghosts of her past, Amie strikes a pact with an ancient being called The Storyteller. In order to see Emrys again, they must put aside their blood feud, and cross the veil to a place of spirits and monsters.
Blackbriar Cove is a land where superstition and chaos reign, and spirits plague dreams. A dark curse has twisted the Unseelie who once lived in the home the Blackbriar twins vowed never to return. But death is not the end in Silver Hollow, and the war for the Borderlands has only begun.
The Borderlands Saga:
Silver Hollow (book one) – (see also Review)
Blackbriar Cove (book two)
Enjoy an Extract from blackbriar cove:
Faye fell back into the mud as her enemy’s memories released her. For a long breathless moment, she listened to the patter of rain in the forest and breathed with her own skin. Not the echo of a life already snuffed out, fading into the earth.
Jo had always hated when Faye used her gifts like this. So Faye only used her otherness when her twin wasn’t around.
What Joey don’t know… well, her sister had James now. As for Faye?
A deep chuckle bubbled past her throat at the memories she pulled from her “date’s” remains.
She didn’t hear the soft tread until he was upon her.
Faye’s laughter faded as she turned her smile upon Arthur Hawkeye.
The once and future king, she thought with a giggle.
She pretended she wasn’t at all embarrassed to be caught like this, any more than she pretended not to appreciate the legendary man’s answering grin.
“Hey Ginger,” she greeted. Her best friend’s grandfather sank down to her side, looking entirely too gorgeous for his age.
“Mind if I share your restful abode?” Arthur’s musical voice rolled over her spine and sent shivers to her gut. He drew Excalibur—yes, that sword—over the golem’s remains.
“I wonder,” he began, softer now, “how many more they shall send before Jessamiene discovers your little scheme, Dark Heart.”
Faye shivered at the echo of the golem’s thought following the nickname. One thing about Arthur that Faye tended to forget; Amie would always come first in his book. No one had been able to predict the old man, not since Amie had saved her grandfather’s life and somehow reversed the aging process. Now it was not only impossible to tell his age but also improbable to untangle his motivations.
She opted for honesty this time. “Amie has enough to deal with, and we’ve kept them off the castle grounds so far. That has to count for something, right?”
Arthur nodded, pausing in his doodles in the mud so she could see the Celtic runes he’d left behind. His red hair gleamed in the moonlight as he turned an amused cerulean eye her way. “Aye, and it’ll be your funeral when she finds out.”
Faye stabbed her dagger into the earth and sat up until their gazes were even. “We haven’t learned enough. Once we know who’s sending them and why…”
Arthur’s abrupt guffaw interrupted her. She rocked as he elbowed her side. “Is that what you tell yourselves? You don’t think she doesn’t already know? She’s the bloody Emerald Eyes, love. And she remembers everything now. They’re too afraid of her to make any real moves.”
Faye’s attraction to the human was replaced by white-hot ire, as was often the case. “So we should let them spy on us?!”
Arthur shook his head and tilted his chin up to taste the rain. “Ever considered spying on their spies?”
Faye gaped a moment, and then flashed him a wicked grin. “Ever consider dating again, old man?”
“For you, I might make an exception, lass,” he replied.
I didn’t actually *read!* the entire extract! Shocking – eh? Wells, the reason is I want to savour reading this one at time of release – whilst I’ll be re-visiting Silver Hollow as well. It is one of those magically lovely series you don’t want to read too much about ahead of time *but!* itch to read in full? I’m sure you know what I’m talking about – especially fellow readers of serial fiction! lol I guess I just want to remain happily surprised & take the journey afresh when the book’s ready to release! Still. I couldn’t not raise a signal of awareness for this during my second year of hosting #FantasyForChristmas because as said – it is one of those series I am hoping others will discover – either due to my social tweeting and/or my blogging attempts to highlight the reasons why I love the story & the series as much as I do!
I will share this though – the detailed layers she has on your book covers are wicked incredible! I love how her covers re-tuck you into the Borderlands Saga and visually present you with something that takes your breath away for how awesomesauce it is to see visually expound upon her world!
About Jennifer Silverwood
Jennifer Silverwood was raised deep in the heart of Texas and has been spinning yarns a mile high since childhood. In her spare time she reads and writes and tries to sustain her wanderlust, whether it’s the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, the highlands of Ecuador or a road trip to the next town. Always on the lookout for her next adventure, in print or reality, she dreams of one day proving to the masses that everything really is better in Texas. She is the author of two series—Heaven's Edge and Wylder Tales—and the stand-alone titles Stay and Silver Hollow.
This blog tour is courtesy of: Prism Book Tours
Click through via the badge to find out what else awaits you!
Each day, a new author is showcased – I selected the authors I wanted to feature ahead of time – therefore, return to see which of the authors I am focusing on throughout the 12 days!
Similar to blog tours where I feature book reviews, as I choose to highlight an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog. I provide the questions for interviews and topics for the guest posts; wherein I receive the responses back from publicists and authors directly. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them; I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers.
{SOURCES: Cover art of “Silver Hollow” and “Blackbriar Cove”, the author’s photo (for Jennifer Silverwood) and biography, the extract from “Blackbriar Cove” as well as the blog tour banner and The Prism Book Tours badge were all provided by Prism Book Tours and used with permission. Post dividers & My Thoughts badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets embedded by codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: #blogmas 2019 badge and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2019.
I’m a social reader | I tweet my reading life
One of my *favourite!* #Fantasy discoveries for 2019 was “Silver Hollow” by @JennSilverwood which is why it was wickedly delightful being able to share an extract for the sequel Blackbriar Cove arriving May2020 (ie. during #WyrdAndWonder) for #blogmas!?? https://t.co/n2F3sjLjz5
— Joriebelle rings a bell for #blogmas ??? (@joriestory) December 12, 2019
Jorie!! OH my goodness, I had no idea I was releasing BC on your parent’s anniversary… I was literally staring at my laptop open-mouthed haha. That paired with Wyrd&Wonder and I’m beginning to think this is fate! Thank you so much for sharing your love for the Borderlands Series. Also I applaud your restraint in not reading the teaser ;) Especially since I regularly blog fresh teasers for the book haha. You have truly epic willpower! Seriously though, I can’t thank you enough for all the thought and heart you put into every post. That’s how I know you aren’t completely biased when you feature me. You put the same amount of love and thought into all your writing, and I know I’m not the only author in the community who appreciates that. Thank you for writing through your best and worst and your passion for the bookish community. We’re so much better to have you as part of our literary family!